updated 10:55 am EST, Wed February 22, 2012

Nike Plus goes beyond running in new shoe tech

Nike expanded its Nike+ mix Wednesday with two combinations of shoes and apps that go beyond its traditional focus on running. Both Nike+ Basketball and Nike+ Training can track jump height and other factors besides horizontal distance. A new Pressure Sensor integrated into the shoes themselves contributes to the existing motion tracking to reveal details that were previously impossible to follow in the Nike+ system.

The adaptation changes how apps themselves interact. Basketball players can now track much more of the game and even have a Showcase mode that will record a dunk on video with stats overlaid both for reference and for boasting. Nike+ Training is considered more of a game and provides short but intense exercises with feedback on direct activity as well as the option of setting a daily goal.

As before, the sensor data can be relayed to an iOS device or anything else that fully recognizes the Nike+ system, although the Showcase and exercise modes will often need a device like an iPhone for their features to work.

Three shoe sets will define the experience. One Basketball set, the Hyperdunk+, will arrive on June 29 in the US, mainland China, France, Germany, and the UK. The same day, the Training line will arrive through the Lunar TR 1+ for men and Lunar Hyper Workout+ for women. Nike hasn't said how much each pair will cost or how soon mobile apps would be added or updated to use the pressure detection.